Looking for a quick fix? It is appealing to be promised quick weight loss, especially when social media, celebrities, as well as health magazines are in support of said fad diet.

With growing consumer interest, the “keto” food industry has grown rapidly in the last several years making it more than a $10 billion industry.1

Despite all the hype, this “keto” diet is anything but new

Did you know that the ketogenic diet was originally developed in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy? This diet was designed to mimic fasting, which had been used for centuries before to control seizures.1 As effective medications were developed for seizure control, the diet fell out of favor. Today, the diet is implemented under medical supervision if patients don’t respond to medications.2,3

In the 1970s, the ketogenic diet came back into the spotlight, but this time for weight loss purposes. Around this same time, the Atkins diet (a very low-carbohydrate diet) was gaining popularity and other diets like Paleo and South Beach came about.

Like any diet, the ketogenic diet has its own set of risks. While the above diets are all low carbohydrate, the ketogenic diet sticks out because it is the only one extremely high in fat. As it turns out, the type of fat consumed on this diet matters, i.e. saturated vs. monounsaturated vs. polyunsaturated.

This high fat diet triggers the production of ketone bodies created from the breakdown of fat to produce energy. However, like most diets, its benefits are short term and studies have shown that after 6 months, it is no more superior than any of the other diet fads in terms of weight loss.4

Here is a deeper explanation of the physiology of the diet: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089

What are the risks?

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States today. What’s the good news? It is preventable and reversible with food choices, especially if you increase your vegetable and plant based foods in general.5 That is hard to do on a traditional ketogenic diet!

With the ketogenic diet composed of mostly fat, moderate protein and minimal carbohydrate, the ketogenic diet is lacking major food groups like the many vegetables and fruits and all beans and legumes, immediately making it low in micronutrients.

It may not seem like a big deal, but not getting enough magnesium, b vitamins, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, calcium and vitamin C can create chaos in the body. This can lead to issues with blood pressure control, cardiovascular function, muscle cramping, constipation, kidney stones, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and long term issues like osteoporosis, liver and kidney damage.6,7 There is also a risk of gout due to too much uric acid build up in the blood.7

The ketogenic diet is naturally low in minerals that regulate acid/base balance in the body. People who have a diabetes diagnosis, inborn errors of metabolism, kidney and/or liver disease are especially at risk to try this diet without medical supervision. To clarify, diet-induced ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis (life threatening and typically occurs in patients with Type 1 diabetes and sometimes Type 2 diabetes) are two different processes.8,9

It is important to consider that one person may eat high fat and have no problem, while another person can eat high fat and develop problems with their pancreas and/or gallbladder which can lead to hospitalization.

Finding a personalized nutrition plan that works for your unique needs is the safest and most sustainable solution.

If you are interested in learning more about metabolic health and weight loss, please consult us at Dignity Weight Center! We would be honored to meet you, and we take most insurances!

If you are interested in learning more about metabolic health and weight loss, please consult us at Dignity Weight Center. We would be honored to meet you, and we accept most insurances.

https://www.dignityweightcenter.com/book-online

References

• McGaugh E, Barthel B. A Review of Ketogenic Diet and Lifestyle. Mo Med. 2022;119(1):84-88.
• Jensen NJ, Wodschow HZ, Nilsson M, Rungby J. Effects of Ketone Bodies on Brain Metabolism and Function in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(22):8767. Published 2020 Nov 20. doi:10.3390/ijms21228767
• Mohammadifard N, Haghighatdoost F, Rahimlou M, et al. The Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Shared Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer. Nutrients. 2022;14(17):3499. Published 2022 Aug 25. doi:10.3390/nu14173499
• Tobore TO. Towards a comprehensive theory of obesity and a healthy diet: The causal role of oxidative stress in food addiction and obesity. Behav Brain Res. 2020;384:112560. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112560
• Shivam Joshi, Rachel Shi, Jason Patel, Risks of the ketogenic diet in CKD – the con part, Clinical Kidney Journal, Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2024, sfad274, https://doi.org/10.1093/ckj/sfad274
• Hartman, A.L. and Vining, E.P.G. (2007), Clinical Aspects of the Ketogenic Diet. Epilepsia, 48: 31-42. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2007.00914.x
• Crosby L, Davis B, Joshi S, et al. Ketogenic Diets and Chronic Disease: Weighing the Benefits Against the Risks. Front Nutr. 2021;8:702802. Published 2021 Jul 16. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.702802
• Gomez-Arbelaez D, Crujeiras AB, Castro AI, et al. Acid-base safety during the course of a very low-calorie-ketogenic diet. Endocrine. 2017;58(1):81-90. doi:10.1007/s12020-017-1405-3
• Nuwaylati D, Eldakhakhny B, Bima A, Sakr H, Elsamanoudy A. Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet: A SWOC Analysis. Metabolites. 2022;12(11):1126. Published 2022 Nov 17. doi:10.3390/metabo12111126